Opinion To achieve sporting supremacy, India must tackle the pollution challenge head-on
India must take a bold step forward, mandate pollution audits in sports policies, support resilient sports infrastructure and event management, and enact nationwide AQI protocols before the Commonwealth Games 2030
International shuttlers write to IOC on Delhi’s air. (File Photo) Written by Malathi Renati
Over the years, as India’s sporting aspirations have grown, there has been a visible shift in the narrative by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS). The Khelo Bharat Niti 2025, India’s national sports policy revised after 24 years, articulates five pillars: Elite pathways, economic growth, social development, people movement and integration with the NEP 2020. This framework recognises sports as intrinsically good. It promotes healthy living, camaraderie, and cultivates enduring life skills. Yet, pollution, a problem we created, undermines this vision. Air and water pollutants directly cripple athletic performances and grassroots participation. Statistics show that children, para-athletes, and women (who are three times more susceptible to asthma) suffer the most.
The impact reverberates globally. Endurance athletes in marathons, cycling, or triathlons inhale 10-20 times more air, absorbing PM2.5, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide that infiltrate the bloodstream, choke respiratory tracts, and trigger Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and systemic illnesses. Prolonged-exposure sports such as cricket, or high-intensity bursts in football and hockey, yield fatigue-driven injuries, eye/skin irritation, and diminished lung capacity. The algae, sewage, and heavy metals in both our freshwater and coastal areas jeopardise water sports like sailing, canoeing, and surfing. Winter disciplines fare no better: Soot hastens melting of ice whilst shifting snow patterns truncate seasons, and trigger rescheduling.
The recent domestic fallouts should sound off alarm bells: World No 3 badminton player Anders Antonsen withdrew from the India Open 2026, citing hazardous pollution levels (Air Quality Index AQI ~400 and PM2.5-dominant); Delhi’s year-end GSI Cyclothon and half-marathons were canceled and health advisories were issued restricting outdoor school play. Khelo India and Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) faced training disruptions too, with elite athletes requesting training relocations to cleaner zones in India or abroad because prime venues in India fail to deliver breathable air year-round.
However, sports’ woes mirror a broader crisis, thus demanding a multi-pronged and integrated policy approach with phased actionables.
Urban planning reforms
Mindful urban planning, like embracing 15-minute cities, clustering jobs, schools, healthcare, and recreational spaces within a walking/cycling radius, should be encouraged. Most Indian cities are informally heterogeneous but poorly planned and governed. Enforcing buffer zones with green belts shielding stadiums from factories and traffic are required. Beijing in 2008 is a classic example. Emissions were reduced by over 30 per cent by relocating industries, curbing vehicular movement, and shifting energy consumption from coal to gas.
Why not treat sports venues as health assets in master plans and incentivise playgrounds near schools via tax breaks? With the Overton window widening and private sports investments bullish, these promising green shoots signal ripe market readiness that policies must nurture.
Data-driven solutions
Pollution defies overnight cures, but policymakers can embed seasonal resilience into year-round programmes like Khelo India and elite training. In high-AQI zones, prioritise Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for hybrid indoor-outdoor infrastructure: HEPA-filtered halls, retractable roofs, and semi-enclosed grounds.
Codify nationwide protocols, mirroring heat guidelines:
- AQI <100: Normal operations
- AQI 100-200: Modified training
- AQI 200+: No outdoor endurance sports
These eliminate discretion, standardise event management, and safeguard athletes and protect staff from chronic health risks.
Harness India’s tech prowess
India’s tech supremacy should be leveraged, and data-driven governance should be the norm. Integrate pincode-specific AQI maps into real-time public dashboards at sports venues, traffic signals, and online apps — displaying PM2.5, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide levels. Adopt a citizen-centric strategy: Multilingual digital campaigns linking pollution cuts to physical activity benefits, nurturing walkable streets, car-free zones, and cycling lanes. This boosts accountability and enables targeted interventions.
Can Niti2025 catalyse viable pathways like “Green stadiums” (solar roofs, low-emission equipment), public transport mandates for events, and zero-waste tournaments (circular economy standards)?
India excels at standalone mega events — elections, Kumbh Mela, cricket World Cups — but sustained sporting excellence demands top-down mindset shifts and bottom-up civic empowerment to forge accountable synergies across the samaaj–sarkaar–bazaar triad. For Olympic glory, pollution is no mere externality — it’s a crippling liability demanding urgent action.
As the fourth-largest economy, India must take a bold step forward, mandate pollution audits in sports policies, support resilient sports infrastructure and event management, and enact nationwide AQI protocols before the Commonwealth Games 2030. Not just to unlock medals but for the vitality of millions.
The writer is the head of policy school, The Takshashila Institution
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